Many studies have identified the power of saying ‘thank you.’  When you say ‘thank you’ your customers they spend more, they return less, they tell their friends about you and your service delivery.  In the workplace employee productivity increases when a sign of appreciation is shown such as ‘thank you.’  Likewise vendors go the extra mile, provide deeper discounts, extend credit, deliver on time and increase consideration.  This drives profit, margin and success.

If this is the case…

One of the most important jobs of a recruiter when making a match between candidate and client is salary expectations…or is it?  Salary is one component but what should be considered is the total compensation package + non tangibles such as culture and advancement opportunity.  However I am sure we can all recount those who get stuck on salary and that is often because salary reflects status and an interpreted success (along with job title).  We are after all social creatures and what others…

The adage goes, “if you hire clowns, you will end up with a circus.” Not just a circus but a really expensive circus.  Let me start with the generalist statistic from PR News (2012).  Of new hires, 46% fail within 18 months.  Of new hires another 45% are only fair to marginal performers.  That means that 81% of new hires are a disappointment.  That is a really big number and comes at even bigger costs.  The cost of a minimum wage bad hire has been cited to be $4,500 and change.  Research in…

Social media and social recruiting are very busy words and phrases as many try to tame the savage beast. However, social recruiting has an appendage that is growing in strength and on the horizon.  In 2011, Potentialpark surveyed more than 30,000 job seekers and 350 employers worldwide.  19% of job seekers used their mobile devices (phones, pads) with a complementing but low 7% of employers having a mobile version of their career website and 3% with a mobile job…

Plato, a great philosopher, student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle called the study of numbers the highest level of knowledge. Numbers can be divided into groups, demonstrate relationships and are used in religion, superstition and mythology.  Numbers have been identified as the purest form of communication that crosses the boundaries of languages, understanding and perception.  Numbers are woven into every aspect of humankind and critical to life on earth.  But have you ever been…

Post for those operating in Western Canada

April’s unemployment numbers came out today and there has been a flurry of activity as we see some giant gains in employment across most provinces.  British Columbia (BC) made a particularly strong leap forward moving from a 7.0% unemployment rate to 6.4%.  A six point jump is very strong and when looking at the sectors that gained, all most all sectors came out ahead.  The health occupations category was the only one to suffer…

Social media is no longer new news.  However, the dangers and benefits continue to reveal themselves as we learn how to operate in a world where the opportunities to connect seem limitless in opportunity and danger.  As business managers responsible for growth, relationships, brand strength, customer service and development or any other organizational purpose, social media provides an opportunity to connect.  While many personal reasons for mediums like Facebook and YouTube remain within the…

Do you engage in public sector recruiting?  If not you may be missing a very important and sizable opportunity.  Let’s start with the size of the pie – 24% is the average percentage of employees in the public sector in Canada (March 2012).  The USA tends to be in the high teens with developing country average around 23% (Bureau of Statistics).  This means that one in four or five positions in Canada/USA are a public job:  government, Crown Corporation, university,…